The UAA hockey team tallied points in the same weekend for the first time this season with a 4-1 victory and 2-2 tie, January 6-7 against the Ferris State University Bulldogs at the Sullivan Arena. Friday night’s hero was Alex Jackstadt, delivering two goals in the win after costing his team the lead early. Jeremiah Luedtke helped the Seawolves earn a point in the WCHA standings on Saturday by scoring a power-play goal with less than six minutes remaining, before eventually falling in a shootout.
Friday, January 6
The first game of the series found sophomore forward Alex Jackstadt looking to redeem himself following a defensive miscue on the penalty kill. Ferris State’s Jason Tackett from the left corner found a wide-open Ryker Killins for the goal in the slot, who whistled a perfectly placed shot over Oliver Mantha’s glove hand to tie the game at 1-1 eight minutes into the second period.
“The first goal was kind of on me,” Jackstadt said. “I didn’t have my head on a swivel and I had to make it up for the team.”
It didn’t take long for the walk-on from Anchorage and former East T-Bird to make amends. Less than three minutes later, UAA’s fourth line of Jackstadt, Nils Rygaard and Jeremiah Luedtke provided the spark and go-ahead goal the Seawolves sought.
Jeremiah Luedtke battled with Ferris State’s Jared VanWorme in front of the net. VanWorme fell and tangled up with goalie Darren Smith (2-12-1), knocking him down as well. Alex Jackstadt used the confusion to his advantage, rifling home a one-timer from Nils Rygaard at 10:51 into the second period. The play was originally called off, but counted upon further review. Ferris State did not score for the rest of the game, meaning the goal counted as the game-winner. He scored the game-winner in UAA’s previous victory the week before as well (Dec. 30 vs. Bemidji State, also 4-1). Jackstadt continued his big day by scoring low to the glove side with the backhand on a rebound from a Nils Rygaard shot just 29 seconds later, putting the Seawolves up 3-1.
“That second goal was scored on the very same shift,” Jackstadt said. “Very rarely does that happen … I was in the right place, right time and (the puck) ended up in the back of the net.”
UAA started the night by having to fend off an explosive Ferris State power play, five minutes in. The Bulldogs rattled off five shots in the two-minute span, but were unsuccessful at scoring on Oliver Mantha and taking an early 1-0 lead.
The Seawolves’ first power-play chance proved more successful. Defenseman Jarrett Brown rifled a shot from the point that Smith was unable to cover up cleanly. Jeremiah Luedtke and Nathan Renouf took several whacks at the loose puck before Renouf slid a shot home by the left pad for his first collegiate goal, 14:16 into the game. Ferris State, a school from Big Rapids, Michigan, had numerous chances to cut into UAA’s 3-1 advantage in the third period that Jackstadt helped establish. Jason Tackett and Gerald Mayhew had successive chances for the Bulldogs, halfway into the final frame. Tackett got off a clean shot with time and space. A rebound went back into the slot where Mayhew grabbed it and Mantha pushed from right-to-left to get his glove on it, preserving the two-goal lead. “(Mantha) standing on his head was one of the things that brought us success tonight,” commented Jackstadt. The junior goaltender finished the night with 26 saves.
Jackstadt also noted how the Bulldogs’ speed was one of the reasons they were so dangerous offensively and the Seawolves worked to counter this.
“(Ferris State) lays the body, they’re fast and we worked in practice this week to give us the edge in the game.”
UAA exploited Ferris State’s physicality when Chad McDonald was called for five minutes for checking from behind with 9:04 to play, putting the Seawolves on an extended man advantage. Nothing transpired on the scoreboard, but it killed precious clock in Ferris State’s attempt at a comeback.
Mason Mitchell added an empty-netter late in the third to make it 4-1 and seal the game. The 4-1 win was the fourth consecutive victory on a Friday night for the team. The three goals matched the largest margin of victory of the season and most goals scored in a game (4) by UAA from the week before.
Saturday, January 7
The Seawolf (5-14-3, 4-9-3 WCHA) power play led to success for the second straight game against Ferris State (7-13-3, 6-8-2 WCHA), this time when the team needed it the most. UAA trailed 2-1 deep into the third period and couldn’t crack goalie Justin Kapelmaster for the equalizer.
A glorious opportunity presented itself when Andrew Mayer took down UAA’s Nolan Nichols in the Ferris State offensive zone with a holding penalty. Coaches will say penalties committed while not preventing a scoring chance so far from a team’s own goal are undisciplined and need to be avoided.
Bad break for Ferris State and time to shine for the Seawolves on the power play.
Jarrett Brown fired the puck from the point over the net, where it ricocheted off the boards to Nathan Renouf at the goal line. Renouf, off to the right of the net, dished it to Jeremiah Luedtke in the slot with a no-look pass between his legs. Luedtke controlled the puck with his left skate and fired it home with less than six minutes on the clock, tying the game at 2-2.
UAA’s two power-play goals on the weekend could be classified as pleasant surprises. The team came into the series tied with an NCAA-worst 7.5% conversation rate on the man advantage. Justin Kapelmaster (5-1-2) also came into the game with a WCHA-leading .943 save percentage for Ferris State. Both goalies came up large late to send the game into overtime. Oliver Mantha (5-12-3) flashed a low glove save on Dominic Lutz, who was left alone in front with 3:33 to go. Mantha followed by making a sliding save moments later against Lutz, foiling a 2-on-1 chance. UAA’s Austin Azurdia was denied on one-timer shortly after that.
No one scored in the first overtime (5-on-5), but UAA outshot the Bulldogs, 6-1. As is the case with games that aren’t decided after 65 minutes in college hockey, the teams earned a tie in the record book. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association gives winners of games three points if they occur in regulation or the first overtime and zero to the loser. A game that is decided in the second overtime (3-on-3) or an ensuing sudden-death shootout rewards two points to the winner and one point to the other. The second overtime offered an exciting pace and frantic play, with the teams trading more 2-on-1 opportunities. The final chance of the game came from Jeremiah Luedtke on a breakaway. Luedtke was unable to squeeze the puck between the right post and Kapelmaster’s outstretched skate.
The sophomore from Lynwood, Washington found rink redemption in the ensuing shootout by slapping the puck through Kapelmaster’s five-hole.
Ferris State’s Gerald Mayhew answered by firing the puck over Mantha’s glove and shoulder.
Jonah Renouf led round two of the shootout, but missed to the left. Jason Tackett jumped over the boards and ended the game by sliding the puck between Mantha’s pads, giving Ferris State the additional point in the WCHA standings.
Coach Matt Thomas knows that moving up in the standings is what matters for the Seawolves.
“It’s all about accumulating points for us right now,” Thomas said. “We (have) to get as many as we can to keep pace with the teams below us and try to catch teams that are ahead of us.”
UAA, which is currently in ninth place, sits three points behind Alaska Fairbanks and Lake Superior State for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Seawolves are finding success after a rough start. UAA started the year 1-11-2, but is 4-3-1 since December. Coach Thomas believes that the turning point came against Penn State.
“The second game in Penn State in particular we’ve just seen a shift in their attitude,” Thomas said. “Obviously that kind of coincides with the news of the future of the program. I think kind of having that weight lifted off their shoulders gave them a little bit of a relief here and I think we’ve been playing really solid since.”
The Seawolves started the scoring for the second straight game early into the first period. Mason Mitchell scored one of the prettiest goals of the season with a toe drag, deking past Tyler Dorantes and causing goalie Justin Kapelmaster to freeze, before sniping a shot in the right corner over the catching mitt.
A pair of second-period goals gave Ferris State a 2-1 lead before Luedtke eventually tied the game for UAA. Cameron Clarke snuck a puck past the left post, while Corey Mackin, charging the net, was able to chip in a goal over Mantha’s left shoulder.
The tie puts winning two games in the same weekend still on UAA’s to-do list.
“I don’t think we have this season, but that’s the next step in our game, sweeping a team,” Alex Jackstadt said.
UAA begins a four-game road trip January 13-14 in Michigan Tech, which (oddly enough) is the last team the Seawolves swept a season ago. The Green & Gold will then return home on February 3-4 to host Minnesota State, the last opponent UAA defeated on consecutive nights at home (Jan. 2014).
Mostly Sports News by Chris Lawrence 